The Lakes Region Planning Commission (LRPC) held its Annual Meeting and Awards Presentation on Monday evening, June 24, at The Preserve at Chocorua in Tamworth. Among the award recipients this year was the Tamworth Community Nurse Association (TCNA), represented at the event by TCNA Executive Director Jo Anne Rainville, RN.
There were five recipients of the LRPC Award of Excellence, which gives special recognition to individuals from a variety of organizations from among the 18 towns which comprise the LRPC. This year, however, there was a new award presented to the Tamworth Community Nurse Association, which was selected by the Executive Board of the LRPC to receive the first-ever Chairman’s Inspirational Award for TCNA’s model of sustainability and longevity.
This special award recognizes the uniqueness of TCNA’s model of rural community healthcare, which has now been alive and well for 98 years. TCNA offers skilled nursing care to every resident of Tamworth totally free of charge and does not accept Medicare or Medicaid reimbursements. The organization receives its money from grants, an annual appeal, donations from supporters near and far, and the Town of Tamworth, which votes on the funding at its annual town meeting.
This award has not been given before and is not a current award category, so it is unique to TCNA’s program and to LRPC this year. The LRPC may in the future consider creating such an award category, perhaps to be given at the discretion of the Executive Board and not as a nominating award.
Rainville stood to accept the award to a standing ovation and gave sincere thanks to the LRPC for recognizing the efforts of the TCNA, noting that the key to keeping the organization healthy is vision, both for today and tomorrow.
For further information about the Tamworth Community Nurse Association, call 603-323-8511, or visit its website at tamworthnurses.org. The Lakes Region Planning Commission can be contacted at 603-279-8171, or by visiting lakesrpc.org.